Even the church's support beams seemed to take on a pinkish hue for the funeral of Charlotte Bacon, a six-year-old who was wearing her new pink dress when she was killed in Friday's shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

It was a Christmas gift worn early by a girl who loved adored color.

"For some little girls, pink is just something pretty, but for Charlotte, it was a passion," her uncle said Wednesday during a Wednesday service at Christ the King Lutheran Church. "And by a passion, I mean an addiction."

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Pink buttons with her bright-eyed, smiling face were handed out on the way in.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, U.S. Rep.-elect Elizabeth Etsy, U.S. Sen.-elect Chris Murphy and U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal were among the hundreds that filed into the red-brick Church. A Christmas wreath hung above the doors.

Hundreds of cars lined up to park in the lot and parked on the grass when there was no space left. Among them was a small red car, with a "Hokies" Virginia Tech license plate holder -- a solemn reminder of similar tragedies in years past.

Mourners walked in, some holding hands in groups, and wearing green and white ribbons -- the colors of Sandy Hook Elementary School, where Charlotte was a student.

During the funeral, she was remembered as an independent, rambunctious little girl.

"She was a gift of love, she was a gift of excitement, she was a gift of adventure, and we can admit, she was a gift of mischief," said Pastor Rob Morris.

Morris recalled that Charlotte referred to the church's hymnals as the "Jesus opera."

Her favorite movie was "Brave," which features a rebellious, adventurous young girl, with long red hair, much like Charlotte's.

Some friends and her performed a song from the film on the last day of a musical theater camp this past summer.

Amid pink and purple bouquets and menagerie of stuffed animals surrounding the closed casket was a poster Charlotte had drawn, with the words "Charlotte's friends" across the top and drawings of animals with names like "Lollipop" and "Snowy."

Charlotte had wanted to be a veterinarian since she was 2 years old and loved to visit the zoo, as she had done with her family two weeks prior.

Her aunt pleaded with the crowd to remember the bright girl with the beautiful face, and not the way she was taken away from her family.

Charlotte's cousin Jill said "she'll be greatly missed, but because of Jesus, we know we'll see her again."

The funeral opened with 26 strikes of a gong in remembrance of all those murdered at Sandy Hook Elementary School, and Pastor Rob Morris reminded the nearly 300 attendees that the families would need them to be there to help in the months of grieving to come. "A lot of people have asked me how they can help me through this time," Morris said.

"If you want to help me, promise me that."

Morris also took time to recognize the volunteer funeral directors, as well as the state trooper assigned to look after the family. He also asked for people to send notes to the state medical examiner's office, thanking three men who worked the crime scene for all they had to endure.

A family friend spoke about a Facebook posting by Charlotte's father, Joel Bacon, about how much she liked the song "Home" by Phillip Phillips. She said she was astounded a few hours later to be talking with Phillips, who was desperately looking for ways to help. "It's Charlotte's song," he told her. "It was meant for her. I realize that now."

Charlotte had been riding in the car with her mother the day before the shootings when the song came on. The family friend said Charlotte declared her love for the song and asked for it to be turned up, then began singing it at the top of her lungs. As they drove down the road with the music blasting, Charlotte said "are you singing Mommy? Sing louder!"

"Just know you're not alone, 'cause I'm gonna make this place your home."